École Centrale de Lyon
A research-heavy French grande école for generalist engineers, entered mostly through competitive national exams.
- Students
- 3,200
- Tuition
- €4,113
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1857
- QS World Ranking
- #668
- 2027 edition
About Centrale Lyon
Centrale Lyon was founded on 3 November 1857 by the Lyon businessman François Barthélemy Arlès-Dufour and the teacher Désiré Girardon as the École Centrale lyonnaise pour l'Industrie et le Commerce. It became state-run in 1947, moved to its current campus in Écully, in Greater Lyon, in 1967, and in 2021 absorbed ENISE, the national engineering school in Saint-Étienne, as an in-house institute. It is a member of the Groupe des Écoles Centrale with Lille, Marseille, Nantes and Paris.
The school has about 3,200 students from 80 nationalities on two campuses. Its flagship is a three-year general engineering degree taught in French, alongside four specialty engineering programmes, two bachelor's degrees, 16 master's degrees and five doctoral schools. Research runs through six laboratories that are joint units with the CNRS, including the Fluid Mechanics and Acoustics Laboratory, the Lyon Nanotechnology Institute and the Ampère Laboratory, with anechoic wind tunnels among its platforms.
Entry works very differently from a typical university. Most engineering students arrive through the national CentraleSupélec competitive exam after two years of preparatory classes (CPGE), or through the school's own CapECL preparatory cycle. International students mainly come through an embassy-nominated international exam, double-degree agreements with partner universities, or the English-taught BSc in Data Science for Responsible Business run with emlyon business school.
Une grande école sans frontières
“A grande école without boundaries” — university motto
Why students choose Centrale Lyon
89.6% of general engineering graduates were employed in the 2025 survey, with a median time of three weeks to find a first job and a median salary of 43,000 euros excluding bonuses.
Engineering tuition from 2026 is 1,613 to 4,113 euros a year on an income-based scale for EU/EEA students and a flat 4,113 euros for other nationalities, with full exemption for CROUS grant holders.
More than 140 academic exchange agreements and the TIME double-degree network let students earn two degrees.
The English-taught BSc in Data Science for Responsible Business combines Centrale Lyon engineering with emlyon business school, with classes on both campuses.
Admissions
Entry September 2027
Selectivity
Admission is by competitive examination rather than an overall acceptance rate. The CentraleSupélec exam fills most general engineering places (127 MP, 82 PSI, 62 PC, 24 PT and 15 MPI seats at Centrale Lyon). The Concours Universitaire des Écoles Centrale offers about 100 places across the Centrale group, 15 at Lyon, from around 300 applicants, of whom about two-thirds pass the file stage.
Typical entry requirements
| French baccalauréat (general) | Via Parcoursup to the CapECL integrated preparatory cycle (small class of 24) or to the BSc in Data Science for Responsible Business (strong mathematics required). |
|---|---|
| Two years of CPGE (MP, PC, PSI, PT, MPI) | Pass the CentraleSupélec competitive entrance exam, managed by the SCEI. |
| Foreign secondary school graduates (international exam) | Candidates who have not studied in French higher education and are nominated by a secondary school with the French Embassy can sit the international CentraleSupélec exam: 15 MP, 8 MPC, 1 PC and 1 PSI places at Centrale Lyon. |
| Students at partner universities abroad | Double degree or exchange year through one of more than 140 exchange agreements; apply through your home university's registrar. |
| English language | The general engineering programme is taught in French. The BSc in Data Science for Responsible Business is 100% in English and requires 'a good command of English'; international applicants are assessed through emlyon's online admissions process. |
Deadlines
- Parcoursup wishes (2026 cycle, past) Non-binding Passed12 March 2026 (file completion by 1 April 2026)
For CapECL and the BSc in Data Science. The 2026 wish window ran 19 January to 12 March; the 2027 Parcoursup calendar had not been published when checked.
Parcoursup dates shown are from the 2026 cycle. The CentraleSupélec exam, the international exam and emlyon's international BSc admissions each run their own calendars; check the SCEI, Centrale-Supélec exam and emlyon websites for 2027 dates.
How to apply
French and EU school-leavers apply on Parcoursup (CapECL or the BSc in Data Science). Students in preparatory classes register for the CentraleSupélec exam through the SCEI. International school-leavers use the embassy-nominated international exam or, for the English BSc, emlyon's international online application (60 euro fee, waived for scholarship holders). University students abroad come through double-degree agreements or, after a bachelor's in a scientific field, the Concours Universitaire des Écoles Centrale.
What admissions looks for
- Strong mathematics and physics, tested in written and oral competitive exams.
- For bachelor's-level entrants, scientific ability plus English, shown through a written test, oral test, English test and interview.
- For the BSc in Data Science, a strong mathematics background, good English and motivation shown in an interview.
- For international exam candidates, nomination by a secondary school in conjunction with the French Embassy.
Tips for applying to Centrale Lyon
- 1 If you are outside France and want the French-taught engineering degree, ask your school whether it can nominate you for the international CentraleSupélec exam through the French Embassy.
- 2 If you already study engineering at a partner university, a double degree is often the most realistic route in; check your home university's exchange list.
- 3 If you want to study in English straight after school, the BSc in Data Science for Responsible Business is the one fully English-taught undergraduate route.
- 4 Plan for French: the general engineering programme is taught in French.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
EU/EEA students pay engineering fees on an income-based scale, and CROUS grant holders and French government scholarship holders are fully exempt; students from other countries pay the flat 4,113 euro tariff B unless they qualify for an exemption. The BSc application fee of 60 euros is waived for scholarship holders. Centrale Lyon has on-campus residences (Paul Comparat and Paul-Émile Victor) and partner-residence discounts to help with housing.
- 1,613 to 4,113 euros (income-based) / 4,113 euros
- Engineering tuition from 2026: EU/EEA (tariff A) / other nationalities (tariff B)
- Full tuition exemption
- CROUS grant holders
- 14,650 euros a year
- BSc Data Science tuition
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters
General Engineering (Diplôme d'ingénieur Centrale Lyon)
A three-year French-taught generalist engineering degree with study projects in teams of 4 to 6, an application internship and an optional semester abroad; 89.6% employed in the 2025 survey.
BSc in Data Science for Responsible Business
A four-year, fully English-taught joint degree with emlyon business school, with Data Science, Research and Entrepreneurship tracks.
Bachelor of Technological and Industrial Change (Civil and Environmental Engineering)
The school's second bachelor's, taught on the Saint-Étienne campus.
Specialty engineering curricula
Four specialty engineering programmes run alongside the general engineering degree, across the Lyon-Écully and Saint-Étienne campuses.
Double degrees (TIME network and partners)
More than 140 exchange agreements; the TIME double-degree network was launched in 1996.
Research
- Six laboratories run jointly with the CNRS, plus two international laboratories and 13 industrial chairs and framework agreements.
- Research platforms include anechoic wind tunnels, an atmospheric blower and the Nanolyon nanotechnology platform.
- 93 research contracts with companies worth 12.4 million euros and more than 900 publications a year.
- In L'Etudiant's 2026 DAUR ranking, the general engineering degree ranked first in France in strategy and in materials and nanosciences.
Schools & faculties
- General engineering programme (Lyon-Écully)
- Centrale Lyon ENISE (Saint-Étienne)
- CapECL integrated preparatory cycle
- Ampère Laboratory
- Camille Jordan Institute
- Fluid Mechanics and Acoustics Laboratory (LMFA)
- LIRIS Laboratory
- Lyon Nanotechnology Institute (INL)
- Tribology and Systems Dynamics Laboratory (LTDS)
2025 employment survey: 89.6% of general engineering graduates employed (national engineering-school average 88.1%), median three weeks to a first job, median salary 43,000 euros excluding bonuses (48,000 including bonuses).
Student life
Most engineering students live on or near the Lyon-Écully campus, which has two residences (Paul Comparat and Paul-Émile Victor), and the school has partnerships with Studéa Nexity and Nomad Campus residences for discounted furnished studios in Lyon and Écully. With 110 clubs and associations and students of 80 nationalities, campus life is busy. A second campus in Saint-Étienne hosts Centrale Lyon ENISE, which joined the school in 2021.
- 110 clubs and associations.
- Two on-campus residences in Écully.
- Discounted partner residences in Lyon (for example Studéa studios at 375 instead of 500 euros).
- Students from 80 nationalities.
Housing. On-campus residences in Écully, partner residences in Lyon at discounted rates, and CROUS and private options.
Location
The main campus is in Écully, part of Greater Lyon, on a 45-acre site opened in 1967. Lyon is a major French centre for industry, research and students; emlyon business school, the partner for the English BSc, is in Lyon itself, and BSc classes alternate between the two campuses each week. The second campus is in Saint-Étienne, home of Centrale Lyon ENISE.
Notable alumni
- PV Paul-Émile VictorEthnologist and polar explorer; graduated in 1928
- MR Marc RiboudPhotographer best known for his reports on the Far East; studied engineering 1945 to 1948
- JB Joseph BethenodElectrical engineer and radio transmission inventor; entered the school in 1900
- PK Philippe KruchtenSoftware engineer and professor of software engineering at the University of British Columbia; mechanical engineering degree (1975)
- TE Thibaud ElzièreEntrepreneur who co-founded Fotolia while a student, later founder of eFounders
- LN Laurent NaouriOpera bass-baritone; began his studies at Centrale Lyon before turning to music (did not graduate)
Frequently asked questions
Can international students study at Centrale Lyon?
Yes, through several routes: an embassy-nominated international version of the CentraleSupélec exam (25 places), double-degree and exchange agreements with more than 140 partner universities, the Concours Universitaire after a bachelor's, or the English-taught BSc in Data Science run with emlyon.
Is Centrale Lyon taught in English?
The general engineering degree is taught in French. The BSc in Data Science for Responsible Business is taught 100% in English, and some master's programmes are international.
How much does Centrale Lyon cost?
From 2026 the engineering programme costs EU/EEA students 1,613 to 4,113 euros a year depending on household taxable income (free for CROUS grant holders); students of other nationalities pay a flat 4,113 euros. The English BSc costs 14,650 euros a year.
How do you get into Centrale Lyon?
Most students pass the CentraleSupélec competitive exam after two years of preparatory classes (CPGE). Others enter through the CapECL preparatory cycle via Parcoursup, the Concours Universitaire des Écoles Centrale after a bachelor's, or international routes.
What jobs do Centrale Lyon graduates get?
In the 2025 survey, 89.6% of general engineering graduates were employed, with a median of three weeks to a first job and a median salary of 43,000 euros excluding bonuses.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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